Nellai namathu ellai, Kumari namathu thollai,” said the consummate wordsmith, the late TN CM K Karunanidhi. Loosely, it meant Tirunelveli, the second southernmost district in the Indian subcontinent, is the DMK’s limit; Kanyakumari, the southern tip, is a menace for the party. The playful jibe is understandable, as the Nagercoil-Kanyakumari belt has proven a tough nut to crack for the Dravidian parties. This is largely down to the popularity of the two national parties, and for a few brief years, even the Communists, which in turn is down to the nationalist fervour that the people here exhibit.

Pon Radhakrishnan canvassing in the coastal fishing villages of Kanyakumari